Clutch mechanism



Oct. 6, 1925. 1,556,256

Y c. B. slMMoNs CLUTCH KECHANISH riled June 1s. 1924 Mamma/boa:

Ch les Simmons, l C" toma".

Patented Oct. 6,1925, f

UNITED STATES 1,5.'sa2fs6 PaTENT. OFFICE.

CHARLES nismxoNS, or BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT, AssIciNOR, To TRE NEW DEPARTURE NANUI'ACTURING COMPANY, or RRIsToL, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION or CON,

'NECTIC'U'JL CLUTCH MEeIIANIs'M.v

Application minne 13,'19a4. serial 110,719,800. l

useful Clutch Mechanism, of which the fol lowing is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertainsto make and usethe same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this My invention relates to clutch mechanisms, especially as embodied in coaster brakes, my object being to provide a structure which can be readily and inexpensively made and assembled and will permit of easy re air should the occasion arise.

o these ends, and also to improve generall upon devices of the character indi-- cate my invention consists in the various matter hereinafter described and claimed.

ybethe 'In the-accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation, chiey in longitudinal section; Figure 2 is an elevation, partly in section', on about the line 2-2 ofFigure v1 looking in the direction of the arrows; Figure 3 is `a similar view on about the line 3,-3 of Figure 1; andFigures 4 and 5 are en,- larged, fragmentary, detail views.

Referring now more particularly to these drawin 1 indicates a hub shell, which may ub of the forward, drlving wheel of a childs velocipede of well known construction, and 2 indicates the axle or crank shaft, which is the driver of such a device. This shaft is here shown as broken at its ends but it commonly extends beyond such broken ends and is rotatably mounted in the front forks of the Ivelocipede, pedal cranks bein fastened to such shaft ends.`

" ed from outward longitudinal movement on the shaft by means of semi-cylindrical segments 5 fitting in a slot 6 about the circumference of the shaft and held against separation by an ordinary resilient split ring 7v which engages the reduced portions of those segments. Cooperating brake discs 8 vand 9 of a well known construction have the fingers of,l alternate discsl extending into slots 10 vin the inwardly projecting sleeve portion of the brake'anchorwhile the outwardly extending fingers 11 of the other discs roject into slots 12' which extendI throng the hub shell 1, thisobrake assembly being well known and its Operation being that when the discs are .as by the exertion of longltudinal pressure upon the thicker disc or brake actuator 13, the friction between these sets of discs serves to retard or stop the rotation of the hub shell, depending upon' the pressure exerted.

Coarse threads l14 formed on the shaft cooperate with corresponding threads 15 in the laterally shiftable connector` 16, well ressed together,

understood in this art, about which is a a lag spring 17 frictionally engaging the con'- nector and having a hump or other projecting portion received in one of the slots 12. A cone 18 is threaded upon the shaft and, held in place by a lock washer 19 having a linger 20 entering a longitudinal slot 21 .in the shaft, a lock nutl 22 being screwed onto the shaft against this washer. The hub shell 1 is supported in a well understood manner upon t e usual balls 23 and 24 bearing upon. the before mentioned cone and upon a cone formed upon the before mentioned brake anchor, so that the hub shell 1 is free to rotate on such bearings independently of the shaft 2, but can be braked= when, by backward rotation of that shaft, the threads shiftthe connector 16 to the left and cause it to engage the brake actuator 13 and press the brake discs together as above indicated.

Provision is also made for'clutching connection between the connector 16 and the hub shell so that when, upon` forward rotation of the shaft 2, the connector is moved into clutching engagement with ,such hubclutch element the continued rotation of the shaft causes the hub tobe rotated by the rotating shaft and its connector 16.

According to my present invention the interior of the hub shell is provided with an annular, internal ange or abutment 25 to which the beforementioned slots 12 extend, these slotsv also conveniently extending through the flange so that the slots can be made by a single, through travel of a cutter;

and abutting against this flange is a sepa- I rable clutch ring 26 which encircles the shaft 2 and has radially extending fingers 27 which are fairly closely received in the before -mentioned slots l2, In this way the clutch ring is held against rotation with respect to the hub shell, the fit of the fingers'27 in theL slots 12 being suiciently loose topermit the ring to be readily slid into position from the brake end of the hub shell and yet being sufliciently close'to prevent angular play between the ring and the hub shell. This ring is provided with means whereby it can be clutchingly engaged by the driving end of the connector 16, and as here shown this means consists of teeth 28 on the inner face ofthe ring and adapted to be engaged by corresponding teeth 29 on the end of the connector.

Such a, clutch ring can be readily and inexpensively'formed and hardened as a separate piece and then inserted into the hub shell, and it can also @e readily'rtplaced in the event of breakage or wear. t will be noted, however, that in the structure here illustrated this ring abuts against the hubflange 25 so that it is out of contact with any part that is stationary when the hub is coasting', and, therefore, notwithstanding theuse of this independently-made and separable ring, it has a firm seat in definite relationship to the driven hub shell and produces no drag upon that hub during the coasting action.

I claim:

l. In a device of the'character indicated, a driven member, a driver therefor, a laterally., shiftable connector having operative connection with said driver, and a separable clutch element slidable upon said driven member and in driving connection therewith and cooperating with said connector for driving said driven member, said clutch element being free from contact with relatively stationary portions ofthe device; substantially as described. i

In a device of the character indicated, a dr1ven member provided with an abutment, a driver for said driven member, a` laterally flshiftable connector having operative connection with said driver, and a separable clutch element slidable upon said driven member and in driving connection therewith, said clutch element being between said abutment and said connecte-r; substantially as described.

3. In a device of the character indicated, adriven member having an interior flange, a driver within said driven member, a laterally :shiftable connector having operative connection with said driver, and a separable clutch element in driving connection with said driven member, said clutch element be-A ing between said flange and said connector; substantially as described.

4. In a device of the character indicated, a hub shell, supports therefor, an internal flange upon said hub shell and out of contact with said supports, said hub shell having interior longitudinal slots extending to said flange, a driver in said hub shell, brake elements in said hub shell having parts received in said slots, a laterally shiftable connector in said hub shell and about said driver and in operative connection with the latter, and a separable clutch member about said driver and having portions received in said slots, said clutch member abutting against said flange and being between said flange and said connector; 'substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

CHARLES B. SIMMONS. 

